1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for dredging, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to such devices having a lowerable boom with a rotor cutting head at the end thereof for cutting and moving vegetation and sludge material to a suction inlet of the dredge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dredging devices for dredging municipal sludge wastewater ponds, river beds, lake beds, sea floors and the like, have utilized lowerable booms with the lowerable end having various digging or dredging cutting heads on the end thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,545 shows a device having a cylindrical rotating dredge implement on the end of a lowerable boom. The cylinder dredge implement or rotor has teeth extending out from the cylinder and these teeth bite into vegetation and sludge as the cylinder rotates. The teeth carry the vegetation and sludge around the cylinder to a linear suction intake opening located behind the cylinder. The teeth move between a stationary cutter bar mounted adjacent to the suction intake so as to shred the material carried by the teeth. The rotor and boom are hydraulically operated.
Other dredging devices, such as those shown in U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,962,803; 3,738,029; and 3,521,387 have lowerable boom structures with spiral augers mounted horizontally on the ends of the booms. These augers rotate to dig and move material toward a suction intake. The augers are mounted on a solid bar adjacent the suction intake.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rotor cutting head and suction implement for use on a lowerable boom on a dredge. More particularly it is an object to provide such a rotor which is more efficient in digging and dredging material that requires shredding such as fibrous municipal waste and vegetation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotor which is better able to receive shocks thereto without damage.